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Factory Data Sends Markets Up

LONDON — Evidence of a rebound in manufacturing activity in China and Europe helped stock markets rise in much of the world on Monday, although Wall Street’s closure for Labor Day kept trading volumes light.

In Britain, the FTSE 100 added 1.5 percent, to close at 6,506.19. Much of that gain came from Vodafone, which is selling its 45 percent stake in Verizon Wireless to Verizon Communications. Confirmation of that $130 billion deal came after trading in London had closed, but Vodafone’s shares closed up 3.4 percent on expectations of the purchase.

Germany’s DAX index ended the day up 1.7 percent, to 8,243.87 while France’s CAC-40 was up 1.8 percent, to 4,006.01. Italian and Spanish stocks also advanced after surveys showed that manufacturing activity rose in the two countries, which are in recession and have been focal points of Europe’s debt crisis.

Global market sentiment was also bolstered by two surveys that showed China’s manufacturing sector improved last month after prolonged weakness.

The HSBC purchasing managers’ index rose to 50.1 points in August, a level that indicates expansion as output and new orders edged up slightly and order backlogs rose at the fastest pace in two years. The official China Federation of Logistics and Purchasing P.M.I. rose to 51.0 from July’s 50.3, which was the highest level and biggest increase this year.

On Monday, the leading stock indexes in Japan, Hong Kong and Australia all rose more than 1 percent.

Crude oil for October delivery declined $1.08, to $106.57 a barrel, in electronic trading on the New York Mercantile Exchange as fears of an imminent American military strike on Syria continued to fade.

A version of this article appears in print on September 3, 2013, on Page B7 of the New York edition with the headline: Factory Data Sends Markets Up. Order Reprints|Today's Paper|Subscribe